Offering its strongest lineup in years, with some of the biggest names in rap performing their greatest albums in their entirety, Guerilla Union's annual Rock the Bells festival displayed impeccable booking instincts at the San Manuel on Saturday. Yet it still hasn't necessarily found the best way to showcase the assembled talent. It's almost churlish to nitpick: The annual tour, which hits New York on Sept. 3, provides the most reliable hit of pure pleasure a hip-hop-head could ever expect -- but with a little tweaking, it could be a truly great platform.

Hip-hop's biggest tour, Rock the Bells, kicked off its eighth year with more of a festival vibe than ever. The 2011 edition of RTB, which launched yesterday at San Bernardino's San Manuel Ampitheater, featured the addition of the RZA-curated 36 Chambers stage, bringing the total to four stages and meaning, just like at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, etc., the non-stop music forced some tough decisions for fans. For example when hot up-and-comer Mac Miller, who had kids packed into the Paid Dues stage, singing along with every word, went up against Erykah Badu performing her brilliant Baduizm album in its entirety.